She bolted up gasping for air, her tiny hands fisted in the bed sheets that were twisted about her legs and a scream lodged in her throat. Something had woken her. Something most people wouldn't normally hear. A whisper of sound, so small, so light it should have gone unnoticed.

She turned her head as if she were looking about the room but in reality she was listening to the night sounds trying to pick out that one tiny noise that wasn't right. But she couldn't hear it. What ever had created it was gone.

She passed a shaking hand over her brow, wiping away the sweat. Nelibia no long felt she could stay at the inn. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had been found. It was in her best intrest to leave now.

Kicking the tangled sheets away from her legs she stood and dressed herself hastily in the dark. She walked towards the window in the upstairs room and stood near it letting the fresh breeze wash over her face.

Knowing what she did she knew she needed to move as fast and as far as she could. The task would be difficult for her as there were a great many things that worked against her. She could not help what she had over heard that day so many years ago. The thing that cost her something she had always taken for granted and the thing that kept her moving to this very day.

She damned all the many things that made her memorable to people. The stunning pure beauty of her face, her tiny frame and small stature, her odd accent and her hair that was as white as fresh snow. And the fact that she was blind.

With a shake of her head she called out softly,"Timpur? Come to me."

Timpur, a tiny cat that went every where with Nelibia did not resond. She called again as a frown settled on her brow. Where was that damnable animal?

It came to her swiftly then, the sound that had awoken her was the soft mewl of a cat. The kind of sound that cat's made when they were in pain or lost. Quickly she snatched up her few belongings and rushed out the door her mouth moving silently counting her steps. Down the stairs and out the door. As she neared the stable where her mount was she heard the soft mewl again. She stopped and listened knowing that if who ever had followed her saw her she was finished. She heard the mewl again and hurried as fast as could in the direction it was coming from. She found the cat behind the inn next to the door leading back inside to the kitchen. She wispered to the animal softly hoping her voice would calm him as she gently lifted him and wrapped him in her cloak.

"Are you sure she is still in her room? She seems a bit good at escaping her fate despite the her blindness. Perhaps you should go check..."

The voice frooze her and she couldn't seem to make herself move as she continued to listen, knowing her window of time to get away was shrinking fast.

"Aye, I am sure, sir. The girl is still up there and there is no need to check. She was fast asleep with in minutes of her head hitting the pillow.

Was there a need to hurt the cat though? Really he is just an animal, no harm at all."

That was the mistress of the inn. She listened to the next few words shouted at the old woman and listened to her sputter as the man demanded she go check.

That was what got her feet moving again. With fear in her heart she rushed to the stable feeling her way there. Once inside she stopped breifly to listen for the sound of the stable boy. When she finally located him by sound she ran toward him and told him to bring her mont to her quickly.

the boy helped her climb in the sadle and lead her outside. She pulled her hood over her hair as she said to the stable boy,"Turn me west boy, hurry"

The boy did as he was told not understanding why this woman couldn't figure out which way was west and thinking that she would probably get herself lost. Then he looked up at her pale face and saw her vaccant unseeing eyes. Nelibia kicked her heels into the horses sides and he shot off through the woods with a snort.

Wed Oct 20, 2004 3:00 am

Nelibia

Stablehand

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 2:24 amPosts: 2

She hunched close to the horses neck craddling the tiny cat in her arms. All of her sences were alert. She felt the chill night air slap her in the face, heard the quite mewling of timpur and the stead clop of the horses hooves and breathing.

She was waiting for the sound of persuit. She did not think she'd be able to shake them off so well this time as she had in the past. It angered her that she had to spend her life running because she knew the secrets of the order, that they had taken her sight and wanted to take her life from her too. She'd like nothing more than to see the lot of them dead.

--------------------

Hours had passed and the dreaded sound of more horses closing in behind her never came. Chances were they'd track her through the woods. Either way they would find her and catch her. She only hoped she could hold it off for a little while longer.